Autism and the Classroom: a Challenge for Sros Northern District of Indiana from WNDU 5400 Federal Plaza, Ste
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This collection of open source information is offered for informational purposes only. It is not, and should not be, construed as official evaluated intelligence. Points of view or opinions are those of the individual Volume 3, Issue 1 authors and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice or the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Indiana. February 2008 U.S. Department of Justice U.S. Attorney’s Office Autism and the Classroom: A Challenge for SROs Northern District of Indiana From WNDU 5400 Federal Plaza, Ste. 1500 MISHAWAKA, IN| A Mishawaka middle school student faced expulsion this week. Hammond, IN 46320 The student's dad says he made an inappropriate comment to his teacher. It’s apparently one of many issues this student has had. David Capp Acting United States Attorney At a meeting late Wednesday afternoon, school officials learned Forest Lyvers would be allowed to stay. The student's dad says his son's behavior can be blamed on Asperger's Syndrome. Aspergers is a form of autism. Inside This Issue NewsCenter 16 spoke with Lyvers’ Dad, Glenn, before he Autism: A Challenge for learned that is son would be able to stay at the school. SROs Late Wednesday, Lyvers says the school has decided that Page 1 they don't have enough evidence on the Aspergers In The News disorder to expel Forest. Page 2 School Shootings For the past few days, Forest has been at home, Page 5 suspended from school. Officials at Mishawaka schools School Safety did not want to comment on the issue for confidentiality Page 8 reasons. Lyvers says the school has decided to order Technology and Web some tests for Forest and look at the ways they're dealing Safety with him, in order to make it an easier situation for Page 10 everyone. Drugs and Alcohol News Page 12 As for Asperger’s Syndrome, most who have it are extremely intelligent, but lack News Briefs simple social skills. Page 13 Lyvers insists his son has made improvements and needs to be around other kids Youth Gang Awareness – for social interaction. “He needs to talk to other kids, have friends, be able to Black P Stones communicate with people and learn how to talk. I'm going to argue that the Page 15 socialization he's been getting has been inappropriate at school and it's setting him School Emergency Planning Grant up to fail,” says Glenn Lyvers, Forest’s Dad. “I don't want the other kids to be Page 16 disrupted and if I felt he was disrupting education of other students, I would land on Autism and SROs - the side of those students.” Continued Forest's Dad says he's pleased with how the school handled the situation in the end. Page 16 He says he's looking forward to getting his son back in his regular school routine. Forest is expected to go back to class on this Monday. Lyvers has also created a website chronicling the events. Kylee Bassett, Indiana Department of Education, gave a presentation at the most recent SRO Consortium of Indiana concerning this very topic and the role of School Resource Officers when handling situations involving autistic Visit us online @ www.keepingourcommunitiessafe.us children. For a summary of her presentation, see page 15. The School Resource Officer Consortium of Indiana presents “The Monitor” 1 In The News Schools Embracing Powers for Police Article published in the Indianapolis Star on January 28, 2007 INDIANAPOLIS, IN| Half a dozen Indiana school boards are considering whether to take on the new responsibility of authorizing police officers. The move could create a minefield of issues from issuing badges to setting policies. So far, Pike Township Schools may be the only district to use a new law that allows school boards to appoint officers. Previously, school districts could not grant police powers, although several have long said they have "police departments" that derive authority from a local sheriff or police chief. In districts that convert, students will see little difference. A badge or uniform may change, but few officers will change duties. The change affects school boards, which will have greater responsibility for making police policy regarding training, firearms use, police chases and various protocols. Any school police policy entrusted to mayors and sheriffs would rest with school boards, too. Pike Township Schools became the first school district to launch its own police department in July. Brownsburg, Center Grove and Indianapolis Public Schools are among those considering the change. Districts cite different reasons for making the move, including not having to worry about deals with the sheriff or police chief changing when new administrations come to office. In many districts, the shift also would make officers eligible for training at the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy, where regular police officers in the state train. "I wanted to professionalize and really solidify our school police," said Al Kasper, Pike Township Schools' police chief. "Prior to that, we were special deputies on the Sheriff's Department. We got a lot of that, 'You're not the real police thing.' " IPS administrators say they don't plan any changes in the function of their 91-officer police department if the district makes the switch. "I don't think my orders are going to change at all," said Sgt. John Akers, the police supervisor at Arlington High School. "Maybe I'll get more responsibilities. I don't know." Pike Township officers, often called on to assist city police with minor matters, likely Three changes that matter will be freed up to do more work in the school, said School Board President Larry • Political control: School Metzle. boards hope that by taking on the role of granting police "Every time they had a children's crime, they were involving our police," Metzler said. powers they can protect "The police force is as large as some small towns. When we're paying for it, it seems departments from political we ought to be able to control it." changes by mayors and Marion County Sheriff Frank Anderson had expressed concern about school districts sheriffs. launching their own departments, but changes in the law requiring training for officers resolved the issue, said spokesman Julio Fernandez. • Benefits: The survivors of officers of school police Darren Washington, a Gary Public School Board member, said his district is departments may be entitled considering launching its own police department but wants to hash out policies and to more benefits if they are procedures in advance. killed in the line of duty than "Before you just go and enact the school police force," he said, "there's a lot of if they are special deputies research that has to be done." or reserve officers. Washington said the public can have confidence in school police departments • Training: Many school because they are headed by veteran officers, often from local police. He cited Pike's police officers were not Kasper, who spent 21 years as a criminal investigator and trainer for the U.S. Army. eligible for training at the Police leaders in Brownsburg and several other communities support the school Indiana Law Enforcement departments. Johnson County Sheriff Terry McLaughlin applauds Center Grove Academy, but those in newly Schools' potential move. created school police departments would be. "Center Grove ought to be commended for taking a proactive approach to problems in the school," he said. The School Resource Officer Consortium of Indiana presents “The Monitor” 2 Cyberbullying Among Children on the Rise Article published in the Times on November 28, 2007 ATLANTA, GA| As many as one in three U.S. children have been ridiculed or threatened through computer messages, according to one estimate of the emerging problem of cyberbullying. Another new study found the problem is less common, with one in 10 kids reporting online harassment. But health experts said even the lower estimate signals a growing and concerning public health issue. "I wouldn't consider something that 10 percent of kids report as low," said Janis Wolak, a University of New Hampshire researcher who co-authored the second study. Wolak and other researchers, though, found that in many cases the incidents of online harassment were relatively mild. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is trying to draw attention to how U.S. adolescents are affected by e-mail, instant messaging, text messaging, blog postings and other electronic communications. Last year, CDC officials convened a panel of experts to focus on the topic. They also funded a special issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health to publish more research on the subject. The journal released the articles Tuesday. It's difficult to say how severe online harassment is as a public health issue, because a posting or e-mail that might upset some children is shrugged off by others, CDC officials said. And the result of surveys can differ depending on how questions are asked. But the issue was attracted the attention of lawmakers in Oregon, Washington, New Jersey and other states that have introduced bills or instituted programs designed to reduce cyberbullying. Last week, officials in a Missouri town made Internet harassment a misdemeanor, after public outrage over the suicide of a 13-year-old resident last year. The parents of Megan Meier claim their daughter, who had been treated for depression, committed suicide after a teenage boy who flirted with her on MySpace abruptly ended their friendship, telling her he heard she was cruel. The story gained national prominence this month when it was revealed the boy never existed -- it was a prank allegedly started by a mother in the girl's neighborhood.